One of those billboards was on I-380 between Cedar Rapids and Iowa City. When asked about the billboard Kirk said that he didn't notice it saying "I don't do much sightseeing this time of the year."
I was in Geneva, Iowa a few weeks ago for a flea market. Geneva, I would guess, is about an hour from Ames. You definitely knew you were in Cyclone country. You wouldn't have seen this that far away from Ames twenty or thirty years ago. So maybe some baby steps to what Pollard is proclaiming.
As far as I'm concerned, ISU is to Iowa what the White Sox are to the Cubs. And for Iowa to truly become a Cyclone State they would have dominate for at least a decade while Iowa is a bottom feeder for at least that long. Now if you want to compare athletic directors, that's a different story.